Engineering in Life Sciences最新文献

{"title":"Enhanced Cellular Uptake of Compact Cas Proteins: A Comparative Study of Cas12f and Cas9 in Human Cells","authors":"Karim E. Shalaby,&nbsp;Issam Hmila,&nbsp;S. M. Nasir Uddin,&nbsp;Nasser H. Zawia,&nbsp;Omar M. A. El-Agnaf,&nbsp;Mustapha Aouida","doi":"10.1002/elsc.70042","DOIUrl":"10.1002/elsc.70042","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The clinical translation of CRISPR genome-editing therapies is often hindered by inefficient delivery of the CRISPR-Cas RNA-protein complex into target cells. The most widely used CRISPR-Cas9 system poses a significant challenge for efficient delivery into cells due to its large size (∼1.4 kDa). Recently reported compact Cas proteins, such as Cas12f (552 Da), Cas12k (639 Da), and Cas12m (596 Da) represent attractive alternatives as cargoes for delivery. In this brief research report, we employ efficient delivery vectors to evaluate the efficiency of cellular uptake of a compact Cas protein (Cas12f) compared to the widely used larger Cas9 in human cells. Our findings demonstrate that compact Cas proteins may facilitate more efficient cellular penetration and delivery, making them a promising alternative for the development of CRISPR-based therapies.</p><p>Practical Application:</p><p>Our study demonstrates that compact Cas proteins significantly enhance cellular uptake compared to larger Cas proteins. This improved uptake efficiency suggests that compact Cas proteins could be more effective for clinical application, where size constraints and delivery efficiency are critical challenges. Combined with the optimization and refinement of the editing efficiencies of compact Cas systems, our study provokes further exploration of compact Cas proteins in various therapeutic contexts to advance the development of more efficient CRISPR-based therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":11678,"journal":{"name":"Engineering in Life Sciences","volume":"25 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/elsc.70042","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145146452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing the Diffusion Channels of Silica-Alginate Capsules for Microbial Encapsulation","authors":"Bilyamin Abdulmumin,&nbsp;Ismaila Mudi,&nbsp;Abdulalim Ibrahim,&nbsp;Abdulwasiu Abdurrahman,&nbsp;Helen Onyeaka","doi":"10.1002/elsc.70002","DOIUrl":"10.1002/elsc.70002","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Silica-alginate capsule (G-0) has recently been used in fermentation processes to encapsulate microbial cells for several benefits, including facilitating continuous flow processes and simplifying cell recovery and reuse. However, these conventional silica-coated alginate capsules suffer from poor diffusion channels, which are critical for efficiently transporting substrates and products. This study aimed to develop a novel method for producing silica-coated alginate capsules with improved diffusion channels (G-3). The Ca-alginate capsule was fabricated via a simple dripping method, where a solution of calcium chloride (CaCl&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) was dripped into an alginate solution. For the traditional silica coating (G-0), the alginate capsule was mixed with a silica source (hydrolyzed 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane) under specific conditions. In the modified method, glucose was introduced as a pore-forming agent (PFA), with varying amounts (0.75, 1.5, and 3 g) resulting in capsules labeled G-0.75, G-1.5, and G-3, respectively. The diffusion coefficient for G-3 was found to be the highest, for example, at 313.15 K, it was calculated as &lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;math&gt;\u0000 &lt;semantics&gt;\u0000 &lt;mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;mspace&gt;&lt;/mspace&gt;\u0000 &lt;mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;mo&gt;(&lt;/mo&gt;\u0000 &lt;mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;mn&gt;7.77&lt;/mn&gt;\u0000 &lt;mo&gt;±&lt;/mo&gt;\u0000 &lt;mn&gt;0.57&lt;/mn&gt;\u0000 &lt;/mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;mo&gt;)&lt;/mo&gt;\u0000 &lt;/mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;mo&gt;×&lt;/mo&gt;\u0000 &lt;msup&gt;\u0000 &lt;mn&gt;10&lt;/mn&gt;\u0000 &lt;mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;mo&gt;−&lt;/mo&gt;\u0000 &lt;mn&gt;3&lt;/mn&gt;\u0000 &lt;/mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;/msup&gt;\u0000 &lt;mspace&gt;&lt;/mspace&gt;\u0000 &lt;mi&gt;m&lt;/mi&gt;\u0000 &lt;msup&gt;\u0000 &lt;mi&gt;m&lt;/mi&gt;\u0000 &lt;mn&gt;2&lt;/mn&gt;\u0000 &lt;/msup&gt;\u0000 &lt;mo&gt;/&lt;/mo&gt;\u0000 &lt;mi&gt;min&lt;/mi&gt;\u0000 &lt;/mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;annotation&gt;$ ( {7.77 pm 0.57} ) times {{10}^{ - 3}} {mathrm{m}}{{{mathrm{m}}}^2}/{mathrm{min}}$&lt;/annotation&gt;\u0000 &lt;/semantics&gt;&lt;/math&gt; compared to &lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;math&gt;\u0000 &lt;semantics&gt;\u0000 &lt;mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;mo&gt;(&lt;/mo&gt;\u0000 &lt;mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;mn&gt;3.04&lt;/mn&gt;\u0000 &lt;mo&gt;±&lt;/mo&gt;\u0000 &lt;mn&gt;0.09&lt;/mn&gt;\u0000 &lt;/mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;mo&gt;)&lt;/mo&gt;\u0000 &lt;/mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;mo&gt;×&lt;/mo&gt;\u0000 &lt;msup&gt;\u0000 &lt;mn&gt;10&lt;/mn&gt;\u0000 &lt;mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;mo&gt;−&lt;/mo&gt;\u0000 &lt;mn&gt;3&lt;/mn&gt;\u0000 &lt;/mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;/msup&gt;\u0000 ","PeriodicalId":11678,"journal":{"name":"Engineering in Life Sciences","volume":"25 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/elsc.70002","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145146330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"","authors":"","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11678,"journal":{"name":"Engineering in Life Sciences","volume":"25 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148123182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fab’ Fragment-Immobilized Gold Surface for Capturing EpCAM-Positive Breast Cancer Cells","authors":"Elif Kaga,&nbsp;Sadik Kaga,&nbsp;Ozlem Yalcin,&nbsp;Gizem Fatma Erguner,&nbsp;Nurullah Okumus","doi":"10.1002/elsc.70043","DOIUrl":"10.1002/elsc.70043","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> ABSTRACT</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells present in the bloodstream that originate from primary or metastatic sites. Sensitive and selective capture of these rare cells is essential for early diagnosis, metastasis prevention, and prognosis prediction. In this study, we demonstrated the effectiveness of a surface functionalized with epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) Fab’ (fragment-antigen-binding) fragments for the specific capture of EpCAM-positive human breast cancer cells. EpCAM antibody Fab’ fragments were produced through pepsin digestion and characterized by SDS-PAGE analysis. Glass surfaces were silanized before being coated with a thin layer of gold via sputtering to ensure stability. The Fab’ fragments were immobilized on the gold-coated glass surfaces through strong gold-thiol bonds. The modified surfaces were then characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses. Cell capture performance was assessed using fluorescence microscopy with both EpCAM-positive and EpCAM-negative cell lines. The results show that the Fab’-modified surface offers a promising platform for the selective immunocapture of EpCAM-positive cells.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <p><i>Practical application:</i> This study presents a preliminary design of a Fab’ fragment-immobilized surface for the selective capture of EpCAM-positive breast cancer cells. The surface modification relies on spontaneous Au-S bonding, offering a simple and effective chemical method. The modified surface demonstrates strong potential for integration into future biosensor platforms for detecting circulating tumor cells. Such a system is promising for advanced diagnostics, monitoring, disease progression, and personalized treatment uses.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":11678,"journal":{"name":"Engineering in Life Sciences","volume":"25 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/elsc.70043","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145038185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"","authors":"","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11678,"journal":{"name":"Engineering in Life Sciences","volume":"25 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148107529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"","authors":"","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11678,"journal":{"name":"Engineering in Life Sciences","volume":"25 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148105161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"","authors":"","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11678,"journal":{"name":"Engineering in Life Sciences","volume":"25 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148105162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Systematic Review on the Role of Microfluidic Platforms in Advancing Scalable and Precise Microbial Bioprocessing","authors":"Alperen Alpural,&nbsp;Ilgin Kimiz-Gebologlu,&nbsp;Mayur Parekh,&nbsp;Esra Imamoglu,&nbsp;Zulfiqur Ali,&nbsp;Ozlem Yesil-Celiktas","doi":"10.1002/elsc.70034","DOIUrl":"10.1002/elsc.70034","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Microbial bioprocessing is a key technology for the production of a wide range of biomolecules, including proteins, enzymes, antibiotics, and other bioactive compounds. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in using microfluidic platforms for bioprocessing, due to the ability to precisely control and manipulate fluids at the microscale. Microfluidics offers a transformative platform for the manufacturing of biomolecules intended for clinical applications by addressing key technical challenges in scalability, precision, reproducibility, and the ability to study complex biological systems. In this review, various methods used to fabricate microfluidic platforms and the current state-of-the-art in the synthesis/production of biopharmaceuticals, polymers, bioactive compounds, and real-time monitoring in microscale bioprocesses are discussed. Additionally, the future trends and directions are highlighted. Overall, we envisage the utilization of microfluidic platforms to advance the field of microbial bioprocessing and applications in the biomedical field.</p>","PeriodicalId":11678,"journal":{"name":"Engineering in Life Sciences","volume":"25 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/elsc.70034","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145037771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"","authors":"","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11678,"journal":{"name":"Engineering in Life Sciences","volume":"25 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148105164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Menthol and Its Derivatives: Exploring the Medical Application Potential","authors":"Jing Zhang,&nbsp;Yupei Hu,&nbsp;Zheng Wang","doi":"10.1002/elsc.70039","DOIUrl":"10.1002/elsc.70039","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Menthol, a natural organic compound and the primary component of mint, exhibits diverse biological activities, including analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, neuroprotective, and anticancer effects. The chemical modification of menthol, through processes such as esterification and amination, further enhances these activities, expanding its potential applications in drug development, agriculture, and food preservation. This review explores the structure-activity relationships (SAR) of menthol and its derivatives, emphasizing the significance of molecular modifications in enhancing their pharmacological effects. Research indicates that menthol and its derivatives can improve drug permeation, reduce inflammation, enhance memory, and even target cancer cells through various mechanisms. In addition, we examine the safety and pharmacokinetics of menthol and its derivatives to better understand their clinical potential. Although significant progress has been made in preclinical models, further research is necessary to fully elucidate their mechanisms of action and optimize their therapeutic efficacy in clinical settings. Continued innovation in drug delivery technologies and the development of novel menthol derivatives present promising prospects for future therapeutic applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":11678,"journal":{"name":"Engineering in Life Sciences","volume":"25 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/elsc.70039","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145038242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}